


A Light Left Burning

by JSinister32



Series: A Testament to Hope [3]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Caring Hannibal Lecter, Established Relationship, Fluff, Hannibal Lecter Loves Will Graham, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oral Sex, Will Graham Loves Hannibal Lecter
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-25
Updated: 2020-11-25
Packaged: 2021-03-10 02:40:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,462
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27716245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JSinister32/pseuds/JSinister32
Summary: After the function, Hannibal keeps his promise and makes his way to where Will is waiting for him, anticipating a night of pure passion.
Relationships: Will Graham & Hannibal Lecter, Will Graham/Hannibal Lecter
Series: A Testament to Hope [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2014045
Comments: 18
Kudos: 131





	A Light Left Burning

_The conversation between_  
_Your fingers and someone else’s skin._  
_This is the most important conversation_  
_you can ever have._  
_-Iain Thomas_

* * *

The drive to Will’s home was so familiar, Hannibal could have made the entire trek with his eyes closed. As it was, the miles passed along the emptiness of the road in the late hours of the evening without incident. In the quiet hush, he let his mind traverse over the events of the evening. Even without the invitation to Will’s home, the party had greatly surpassed all expectations he could have possibly had for what would occur when he and Will once again crossed paths in a place where they could be alone. When he pictured their moments together, he had contemplated possibilities ranging from Will simply walking away without a word to another heated argument, but the acceptance and genuine enthusiasm for intimacy between them… it was the one thing he had not considered. _Perhaps, with the history and nostalgic factors at play, I should have,_ he mused, keeping an eye out for the turn onto Will’s drive.

As he navigated his car carefully down the curves in the road, Hannibal’s stomach tightened pleasantly, the searing kiss they shared on the balcony playing on repeat just behind his eyes so he could take in every minute detail over and over. He could taste Will’s need, the longing and loneliness he himself wouldn’t admit to feeling sparkling along his tongue as if he had been sipping on champagne. Within a matter of minutes, the connection of their lips had transported them back to the beginning of their relationship. That event had been much like tonight, except Hannibal and Will had managed to wander off together, talking about their most recent successful case as they traversed the long portrait hallway in the estate turned hotel that had been rented for their soiree. The walk seemed to have been leading somewhere more than just the end of the hall, but both men seemed unwilling to take the final step over the precipice and into the unknown realm of their so obviously shared emotions. Hannibal had relegated his feelings towards the profiler to a sealed box within his mind, a safe place where he could examine them at length when he was alone and conjure up scenarios where the profiler was his. He never had an inkling that his feelings might be returned until Will pressed him into the wall by his lapels, pinning him in place with only the wild look in his eyes. 

The kiss itself had been clumsy and uncertain, yet the sweetness of his inexperience had stolen Hannibal’s breath. Almost too shocked to return it, he had very nearly risked Will’s affections, but when Will pulled away, embarrassed, he had managed to bring them back together just in time, as he wound his hands through the profiler’s hair the way he had secretly wanted to since they met. The long minutes that passed spent blissfully pinned in place as they explored one another’s mouths still made him hard. Even now, he was unashamed to admit he used that very moment on more than one occasion to bring himself, gasping in bed, Will’s name upon his lips as he spent. 

The whirlwind that had followed still managed to heat his blood as it coursed through his veins, for the firsts they shared that night hadn’t ended with a kiss. Once the barriers between them had dissipated, their attraction had come barreling to the forefront with the speed of a hurtling steam engine, and had very nearly undone them both against the wall of that hall. They left the party together and stumbled into Hannibal’s home in the pure darkness of early morning, shedding articles of clothing as if they were on fire. The next several hours had taken Hannibal’s breath away. He had no idea anyone could be so inventively passionate, but Will had proved him wrong, whispering filthily into his ear as he stroked every inch of skin he could reach as if starved. It took hours to sate their need that first time, hours spent tasting, touching, exploring in ways he hadn’t realized he wanted. Will was a very thorough lover, offering himself up for Hannibal’s pleasure just as surely as he took his pleasure in the other man’s body. They had fucked to the point of exhaustion, sleeping in a heated embrace of hot skin and mingled breath. They spent many nights wrapped together in a similar fashion, but that first time stuck within Hannibal’s mind like glue. Their mingled scent soaked into the sheets; longing, lust and a little love, even then. _It was always love._

When they awoke from their sex soaked slumber the next morning, the separation of their suits had been one of the most erotically amusing moments of Hannibal’s life and had done funny, painful things to his heart at the mere sight of their clothing commingled on the floor of his home. There was a little awkwardness between them, but it had quickly dissipated in the need for sustenance. The doctor had been delighted to find that Will cooked often and well, and made a more than acceptable sous chef, especially when their preparations had been interrupted every so often with a soft, brief kiss. They had parted ways without expectations, knowing full well that their passion for one another could easily abate in the coming days, and they would still need to consult one another in their work without the probability of embarrassment. Thinking about it now made Hannibal smile; they couldn’t have been more wrong. The addiction to each other’s company grew exponentially overnight, the desire to be together often eclipsing any perceived need for solitude and relaxation. The things they normally sought to do alone were simply better when done together. 

During their first discussions, they had settled on seeing one another twice a week, but their need to be together quickly devolved from one weekday and one weekend day to every other night in one another’s beds and entire weekends spent curled up together, sharing their lives as if they had been married for years. Things as mundane as chores became something they endured together, meals so often cooked and shared between them that they made a habit of meal prepping for work during the weekends. Hannibal’s closet soon came to contain many articles of Will’s clothing, a space was cleared out amongst his things in the bathroom for the profiler’s toiletries to nestle side by side with his own. Even when Will wasn’t there, the sight was enough to make his heart squeeze gently in his chest; the monumental idea that someone wanted to spend his life with him was so immensely satisfying, it was difficult to keep from being smug.

They had managed their relationship in such a fashion for more than a year, both men more preoccupied with their happiness and contentment in one another than the big picture. Will brought up the idea of permanent cohabitation on occasion, but not often enough for Hannibal to question Will’s happiness. The hints he wanted more went unheeded, filed somewhere in the back of his mind as unnecessary information. It wasn’t very long after the first conversation that the fights had begun. Little things at first; long nights at work, a decreasing amount of communication throughout the day, fewer days shared with one another. The accusations had begun not long after the second or third late client and canceled weekend. Before Hannibal understood what was happening, the full blown arguments took up as much of their time as the sex had when they first got together. Unable to face Will’s emotional onslaught, he withdrew into himself, calling forth his uncle’s training in remaining outwardly calm in all hostile situations. Hannibal foolishly believed that if one of them could remain rational instead of emotional, the fights would cease on their own. He didn’t realize how much he had gotten wrong until it was too late. The boxes they both had filled with each other’s belongings had been one of the worst moments of his adult life.

Hannibal shut down the painful memories as he made the last turn onto the side road that would take him into the woods surrounding Will’s property, instead concentrating his efforts on maneuvering the car down the path. The breathtaking beauty of the forest never ceased to amaze him. Even in, or perhaps because of its seclusion, Hannibal had come to love Will’s home almost as much as his own. They had spent so many happy hours there that it was hard to keep his heart from beating out a timpani of welcome warmth at his return. The woods looked the same, comfortingly hiding him away as he made the last of his trek. He held his breath, letting it fill his lungs painfully as he made the final turn. 

The sight of Will’s home surrounded by trees devoid of leaves, a small covering of frost on the bark made his heart pound, but it was the porch light that Will had left caught his emotions in his throat, his eyes prickling with tears. When they were a couple, it was a signal of sorts they had devised to ensure they made the most of their time together. If they were arguing, the porch light was a cease fire for the evening, a pause of sorts that allowed them to instead share intimacy with the knowledge that their problems could be sorted at a time in the future. For the night, they simply belonged to one another. Seeing that signal so obviously displayed again gave Hannibal a feeling he rarely experienced: hope.

He parked his car in the space Will left for him and turned off his engine, pausing for a moment to take stock of the present; where he was and what he was about to do. The shift felt monumental, and no matter what else was to occur, Hannibal refused to make light of it. He wanted Will back, not just for the night but forever if he would have him. Although the porch light was on, he knew that in order to get what he wanted, they would need to talk. _If we can manage to keep from tearing into one another so we can sate the desire that still exists between us, which may be a difficult task tonight._ Hannibal lips curved into an unconscious smile as he opened his car door, bracing himself against the frigid temperatures as he stepped out into the frosty air. Taking a deep breath, he locked the car and made his way up the stairs, trying desperately to quell the nervous clenching of his stomach.

_I want this. I want to be here. He wants me here. There is nothing to fear._

Remembering their conversation at the party, the doctor selected a key on his ring that he couldn’t bring himself to return, his fingers shaking as he inserted it into the deadbolt lock. The door clicked open quietly as he turned his key, trying to keep his mind focused on what was about to occur instead of the day he had been gifted the key he had just used. _So many memories. So many twists and turns to bring us back to one another, as if this were the design all along._ Hannibal pushed the door open, breathing in the scent of Will’s home, the comforting aroma filling his entire being, shutting down the whirling of his mind. Closing the door behind him, he stood in the hallway and simply existed within the familiar space once again. _This is exactly where I have wanted to be for every moment I have been away. Anywhere that contains your essence is where I want to spend my days and my nights. I can only hope that you_ _’ll have me, darling._

Out of habit, Hannibal removed his overcoat and shoes, noting with immense satisfaction that the spaces he had always used were empty and waiting for his belongings. The house was almost completely dark, the only light glowing faintly orange and coming from the living room. Heart in his throat, Hannibal made his way through the house, drawn to the light like a moth to a flame. He made his way through the house from memory, anticipating the obstacles of furniture and hallways with ease. When he came to the main living space, his heart was trying to pound its way through his chest, his hands gone clammy with nervousness. Even with the knowledge that they both wanted this, it was hard not to be scared of what might happen. 

The sight presented to him stopped him in his tracks.

Will lay on the couch before the blazing fireplace, his suit removed and replaced with comfortable navy lounge pants. Instead of a shirt, he wore a matching dressing gown, the material hanging open to frame creamy expanses of chest and stomach to Hannibal’s fevered gaze. His eyes raked down the profiler’s form, taking in everything from the unruly and impossibly soft looking curls crowning the top of Will’s head to the unusual elegance of his feet, pausing often and fondly in between to adore the other man’s frame. He stood, frozen in place and gazed, his mind filing this moment away in the wing in his memory palace that belonged only to Will. For long moments, they simply let their nerves settle, but when sleepy smile spread across Will’s handsome features, Hannibal’s heart kicked back up into his throat. A hand lifted from where it lay across Will’s stomach, beckoning the doctor closer with a small curl of fingers.

“Come here,” Will whispered, his eyes impossibly dark in the firelight. The simple command burned its way through Hannibal’s mind and heart, taking root in his very soul. Shaking, he made his way across the room to collapse to his knees in front of the couch. They gazed at one another, drinking in the reality of their situation. They were home together, a place they hadn’t been in so many months, Hannibal had almost forgotten how perfectly, endlessly _right_ it could feel. Will lifted his hand to the doctor’s face, caressing the stubbled cheek beneath his palm as if he couldn’t quite decide if Hannibal was real. Hannibal took in a small, shaking breath, the sound impossibly loud in the hushed surroundings. His eyes shuttered closed as he leaned into the gentle touch, letting Will’s fingers speak the volumes neither could find the words to express. _I missed you,_ they seemed to say. _I want you here. I need you. Please._ _Please let this be real._

Will leaned forward, watching Hannibal’s face fill with so many emotions, he wasn’t sure he had managed to read all of them. Within the space of twenty seconds, he had seen disbelief, pleasure, need, trepidation, and longing… so much longing, spill across Hannibal’s handsome features, chasing one another as if they were made of water. The beautiful maroon gaze that opened to meet his own held need like a cup threatening to overflow with how much it contained. Their lips met in the firelight, soft as falling snow, a gentle press of skin. They settled together, letting their mouths seal and explore more thoroughly than they dared at the party. Hannibal wanted to speak, wanted to tell Will how very sorry he was that he didn’t understand when they had been together what it meant to have something that could last, that they could build upon for as long as they lived. He wanted to tell him that he wanted a second chance, that they belonged together, but the rush of longing that encompassed him with the kiss stopped his mind from thinking altogether, replacing every other emotion he could feel with pure, unadulterated need. 

When Will’s hands wove into his hair, dragging him closer as their kiss deepened, Hannibal closed his eyes and let the feeling envelop him. It took long, wonderful moments of relearning what their kisses meant for him to understand that they _were_ talking. They didn’t need words to communicate; his body knew what he wanted to say, and was much more apt at showing emotion than what would surely come out wrong should he try to voice what he was feeling. Trembling, he reached for Will, the sound in the back of the profiler’s throat at the contact on his skin enough to tell Hannibal exactly what he needed to know. Will had missed him, missed what they had, what they were together. He needed it as much as the doctor did. _Yes. Yes, darling. Let me be what you need._

Hannibal broke the seal of their lips to kiss his way down Will’s neck, remembering the small patch of skin at the base of his throat that drove the profiler to distraction when caressed. Will tipped his head back, letting it fall against the cushions of the couch in offering. Hannibal took the offer, brushing his lips along the column of Will’s throat, drinking in the small, fretful noises that issued forth as if they were wine. The fingers in his hair tightened, held him in place as he nibbled the salty flesh beneath his lips, chasing the scent of Will’s aftershave where it had deepened on his neck, nosing the skin fondly.

“I still stand by what I’ve always said,” he murmured against Will’s throat. “I have excellent taste. You smell exquisite.” Will snorted, pulling on Hannibal’s hair to bring their mouths back together in a slow, heated kiss. 

“You’ve always had a way with words, Doctor Lecter,” he replied against Hannibal’s mouth. “I’d like to see what other talents you might possess.” His gaze dropped to Hannibal’s kiss swollen mouth, working his way back to meet the doctor’s own astonished eyes. A small smile lifted the corner of his lips, causing an inexplicable blush to bloom in the doctor’s cheeks. Leaning up to bring them closer, Will wrapped his arms around Hannibal’s shoulders, bringing their mouths together in a kiss filled with more heat than emotion, an almost animalistic desire to consume and claim sweeping over them both.

“Have you forgotten so easily?” Hannibal teased when they broke for air. “Shall I demonstrate?” Will nodded, his pupils blowing wide. Hannibal smiled and placed a gentle kiss on the center of the profiler’s chest, relishing in the texture of Will’s skin beneath his lips. His hands stole between their bodies to curl around Will’s hips, holding him down against the couch as he worked his way across the profiler’s nipples, breath ghosting across his skin in a warm wash of air. He watched as the sensitive nubs hardened, a predatory growl threatening to pour from his throat as he licked across them, tasting. Will’s back tried to bow, to bring their bodies into contact as Hannibal teased him, but the doctor remained where he sat on the floor, making the profiler’s attempts futile. His thumbs grazed along Will’s hipbones, curling around the delicate skin to hold him in place. Will trembled, pushing against the hold as if to test the doctor’s grip. Hannibal held fast, somewhere in the back of his mind reminding him of how much Will enjoyed being pinned beneath him. The angle made it awkward, but the intention was the same and well executed if the trembling that broke out across Will’s skin was any indication.

“Han-” the biting nip on his hipbone silenced the words, the quiet broken by a rough cry issuing forth from Will’s throat, but he tried to focus, to try again. “Hannibal-” The doctor hummed against the skin beneath his lips.

“Yes?” Will swallowed, trying to put the words together.

“It-i-its been a long time for me,” he said, flushing. “If you keep even what you’re doing up…” The smile that spread across Hannibal’s face lit his features up from the inside, his eyes glowing with a possessive happiness that stole Will’s breath from his lungs. 

“Oh?” The single word sounded darkly pleased, as if Hannibal were starving and had just been handed a ticket to a buffet, namely Will’s flesh beneath his hands and mouth. “Perhaps, we should release some of your… tension then,” the doctor murmured against his skin. Before Will could reply, the maddening kisses returned in earnest, their goal outlined clearly in Hannibal’s winding path down Will’s body. 

The first brush of soft lips against his straining erection was nearly enough to undo him, even through the layers of clothing that remained between them. Will gritted his teeth, silently admonishing himself for his lack of control. _Please, god. Don_ _’t let me waste this opportunity._ Hannibal chuckled, the rumbling vibrations sending another cascade of sensation through his cock, drawing an undignified whimper from the profiler’s lips. Hannibal closed his mouth over the cloth covered tip, sucking gently as Will panted above him.

“Relax, darling. You are endlessly safe in my hands.” The words eased their way into Will’s fevered mind, relaxing him fractionally as the reality of what was happening washed over him, bringing another moan to his throat. He let his head fall back as Hannibal’s fingers dipped beneath the pants he was wearing to caress the sensitive skin just above his pubic hair, his stomach muscles quivering at the sensation. Will sucked in a breath, willing himself to calm down, even fractionally. _Please. Please don_ _’t let it end this quickly. I- I want-_

“I’ve always loved these on you,” Hannibal murmured as he drew the cloth down, exposing Will’s erection to the cool air. “They are… evocative and you always look so comfortable. A much desired quality in lounge wear, don’t you think?” Will laughed, startled.

“Evocative sleep wear?” he asked. “Really?” Hannibal smiled, wrapping a hand in a sleeve around the hard flesh of Will’s cock. The profiler convulsed at the feeling, unable to keep his hips still. Hannibal’s eyes gleamed as he lowered his mouth.

“Yes,” he breathed against the swollen and leaking crown, brushing his lips through the moisture that had gathered at the tip before licking it away. “They’ve always made me want to peel them off you and have you.” Before Will could reply, Hannibal sank his lips around the profiler’s erection, taking him into his mouth as he began to work his hand along the base to meet his lips. Will’s body began to shake, a light sweat springing up at his hairline as Hannibal took another inch into his throat, offering up his gaze as he began to suck. Hannibal had always loved doing this, watching Will come undone above him as he worked the profiler’s pleasure drop by drop from his cock, the wet, warm slide almost always bringing him to the brink within minutes. Will moaned, lost, as the pressure of many lonely nights, nights wanting just another moment of exactly what Hannibal was offering him, pressed up through his body, tightening his balls with need. The pleasure of Hannibal’s mouth cascaded down his skin in waves, building at a frightening speed. The doctor released him carefully to stroke a hand between his thighs, gathering his balls and rolling them gently as he ran his tongue along the dip just beneath his head, causing a string of incoherent blasphemy to pour out from Will’s lips. Will panted, plunging his hands into Hannibal’s hair as he tried not to thrust. _God. Oh god, it_ _’s too-_

“Hannibal-” A contented moan issued from the doctor’s throat as he began to work the cock in his mouth in earnest, bobbing his head to envelop the delicious length offered up to him. When Will began to tremble, so close he could barely think, Hannibal pulled back to let him breathe, but the pleasure was too much, too good. It had been so long that he couldn’t hold back much longer. Little licks and nips accompanied the maddening, perfect pressure as Will felt the first, desperate wave break across his skin. Maroon eyes met the blown, shocked cerulean gaze above him, pinning him in place as Will’s orgasm broke. Will let out a cry of desperate relief as the waves of pleasure rolled through him, tight, hot peaks of pure white cresting as he tried to stem the tide of nonsense pouring from his lips. Hannibal worked him through the delightful peaks of pleasure, sucking his head as he ran soft fingertips across the length of Will’s erection, letting the trembling guide his movements. Hannibal drank down every drop, watching with eyes filled with love and happiness as Will took his pleasure in him. 

Half formed professions died as he began to come back to himself, boneless and exhausted. For long moments afterward, they rested together, letting their emotions cool. Will couldn’t remember the last time he had felt quite as relaxed as he did in that moment, the pleasure of an orgasm freely offered by someone who cared for him. _Yes you can,_ his mind admonished him _. It_ _’s been almost six months._ Hannibal had been an impossible act to follow, and he hadn’t bothered to try. The hand in Hannibal’s hair caressed him gently, massaging small circles against the doctor’s scalp. Hannibal rested his head against Will’s stomach, breathing in the scent of his skin as their pulses settled.

“That was not how I wanted this to happen,” Will said, his voice hoarse. Hannibal laughed, leaning up to kiss the profiler’s lips.

“Rest assured, this isn’t how it ends, darling,” he murmured, his eyes shining with mirth. “I am far from finished with you. Shall we retire to the bedroom?” Without waiting for a response, Hannibal stood, sweeping an arm beneath Will’s’ body to cradle him against his chest as he lifted him from the couch. Will let out a small noise of surprise, but didn’t protest, too comfortable in the doctor’s arms to argue. Turning, he made his way through the darkened house towards the bedroom, Will’s heart in his throat. Will reached down and opened the door, admitting them to the room where they had shared so many nights wrapped around one another. Without pause, Hannibal walked to the bed, laying Will down with utmost care before moving back to the door, closing it firmly behind them, closing them off from the world. Will watched with hooded eyes as he made his way back towards the bed, loosening his bow tie with trembling fingers. He leaned down to claim another kiss as his fingers wound down the buttons of his shirt, pulling it from his pants so it could be removed. Breathless beneath Will’s gaze, he let the material fall to the floor before reaching for his belt.


End file.
